The year 2006 marked the 20th anniversary of Vietnam’s adoption of its economic-reform program known as doi moi (“renovation”) and the convening of the 10th National Congress of the Vietnam Communist Party. Vietnamese citizens responded in an unprecedented fashion to the invitation to comment on the draft policy documents prepared for the congress. A robust debate broke out in the state-owned media, including Internet chat rooms, over sensitive political issues such as corruption in government and the party’s monopoly on power.

As the National Congress drew near, public attention became riveted on a major corruption scandal involving officials in Project Management Unit (PMU) 18 of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The head of PMU 18 was charged with having misappropriated $7 million, which he lost gambling on the outcomes of European association football (soccer) matches. The media fueled public interest by its frank accounts of an extensive network of corrupt officials that involved the police and allegedly extended to high levels of government. The head of PMU 18 and the deputy minister of transport were arrested, and the minister of transport was forced to resign.

The 10th congress, held April 18–25, was attended by 1,176 delegates representing 3.1 million party members. For the first time, no foreign delegates were invited to attend. The congress adopted a socioeconomic-development plan for 2006–10 with the objective of maintaining annual GDP growth rates of 7.5–8%, lowering urban unemployment to less than 5%, and reducing poverty to 10–11%. Party Secretary-General Nong Duc Manh noted in his opening speech that corruption was “one of the major dangers that threaten the survival of our regime.” For the first time in party history, delegates were given the opportunity to cast a nonbinding vote of confidence for candidates for the post of secretary-general. Three candidates emerged from this process. The final selection was left to the newly elected Central Committee, but it voted overwhelmingly to renew Manh’s mandate for another five-year term. The congress voted to amend party statutes to allow members to engage in private enterprise but only under strict party supervision.

In June the National Assembly brought sweeping changes to the cabinet. Two reformist southerners, Nguyen Tan Dung and Nguyen Minh Triet, were elected prime minister and president, respectively. Nguyen Phu Trong assumed the position of chair of the National Assembly. Three deputy prime ministers were appointed (Pham Gia Khiem, Nguyen Sinh Hung, and Truong Vinh Trong), and seven cabinet vacancies were filled. Prime Minister Dung quickly set his mark by appointing a 10-member Anti-Corruption Central Steering Committee to deal with this high-profile issue.

Vietnam continued to pursue a foreign policy of “diversification and multilateralization.” In August Secretary-General Manh made his first visit abroad, to China, where agreement was reached to demarcate the border by 2008 and cooperate in developing energy resources. Vietnam hosted visits by the Chinese defense minister in April and the U.S. secretary of defense in June. The following month Vietnam also received a visit by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. Vietnam inaugurated joint naval patrols with China in the Gulf of Tonkin in April and received the fourth visit by U.S. naval warships in July.

In October the World Trade Organization recommended that Vietnam be admitted as its 150th member, and the following month the country hosted the 14th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Workers sew clothing in a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City in November, the week before Vietnam was approved to join the World Trade Organization. The Vietnamese economy, already booming, stood to gain even more from the WTO.APVietnam received separate visits from four heads of state during the summit, including U.S. Pres. George W. Bush and Chinese Pres. Hu Jintao.